The U.S. Border Patrol Houlton Sector arrested an Ecuadorian illegal immigrant in Rangeley early this month with a criminal history and pending arson charges in New York.
[RELATED: Border Patrol Sets All Time Apprehension Record in Maine as Crossings Shift Along Northern Border…]
The Houlton Sector announced the arrest on December 16 but provided scant details. The Maine Wire reached out and received more information from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesman.
“Under Secretary Noem, our brave law enforcement agents are delivering on President Donald Trump’s and the American people’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens to make America safe,” the spokesman told The Maine Wire.
On December 4, a law enforcement agency that partners with Border Patrol requested assistance in identifying a man pulled over during a routine traffic stop near Rangeley.
Agents arrived and identified the driver as Hernan Ronaldo Barrera, an Ecuadorian national. Barrera allegedly admitted to Border Patrol agents that he was illegally present in the U.S.
During the investigation, Border Patrol agents allegedly discovered that Barrera had previously made false statements to law enforcement on multiple occasions, claiming to be a Mexican citizen.
Those previous claims resulted in five voluntary returns to Mexico.
In 2019, he was apprehended and ordered removed in absentia by an immigration judge.
He also has a 2006 conviction for driving under the influence and is currently facing arson charges in New York as part of an ongoing investigation.
CBP was unable to provide more details on the arson investigation.
